Athletic goal device



C- A- ENGLE ATHLETIC GOAL DEVICE Filed July 14, 1966 Feb.l8, l969 FIG. 1

CHARLES AENGLE FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

Lama/a? ATTORNEY us. Cl. 273-102 3,428,319 ATHLETIC GOAL DEVICE Charles A. Engle, 249 Woodland Drive, State College, Pa. 16801 Filed July 14, 1966, Ser. No. 565,196 6 Claims Int. Cl. A63b 63/04 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a goal and scoring device used in an athletic contest the object of which is to dislodge a goal ball positioned on an elevated pedestal by striking is repositioned by pulling the cable by team that scores.

This invention relates to scoring devices for athletic games and in particular to a resetable goal used in an atheletic contest.

This invention finds its use as a goal in the newly invented athletic contest which has been named Angle Ball. The Angle Ball game utilizes the goal device of this invention as a scoring device. In brief, two goal devices of this invention are positioned 20 yards from the end portion of an Angle Ball court with a goal ball mounted on the top of each. Two teams of approximately twelve players each are equipped with a playing ball which is an out-seam ball approximately 8 inches in diameter. The object of the game is for a team to dislodge their own goal ball by striking it with the playing ball. The team, of course, attempts to prevent the opposing team from doing likewise.

When the playing ball strikes the goal ball sufiiciently hard, the goal ball is knocked from its position and the scoring team is awarded one point. The goal ball is restrained from falling to the ground by a reset cable attached to the device. This reset cable extends towards the ground where it may be grasped and pulled thus pulling the goal ball back into its previous position upon the device to' reset the goal ball. The embodiment of this invention is one designed to be used as a resettable goal for the game of Angle Ball or any similar athletic contest.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a resetable goal for use in an athletic contest.

It is another object of this invention to provide a resettable goal device which will restrain the goal ball positioned thereon when it is knocked from the goal device,

It is still another object of this invention to provide a resettable goal device which will reposition the goal ball thereon by the mere pulling of a resetting cable.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a goal device which may be securely clamped to the ground.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanyin g drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a longitudinal view of the device showing the goal ball in its seated and unseated positions;

United States Patent FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the ground supporting leg of the invention taken along the line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

With reference to the drawing, 10 represents a vertically positioned supporting tube which is threada'bly attached to a coupler ring 12 screwed upon the end portion of the supporting tube 10. Tripod legs 14 are integrally attached to the coupler ring 12 and extend radially therefrom.

Securing levers 16 are attached to the mid-portion of each tripod legs 14 by means of a bolt 18 so that they may rotate freely about the bolt 18. An arc shaped ground securing spurs 20 are welded to the end portion of each of securing levers 16 so as to point towards the ground upon which the tripod legs 14 rests. Thus by pressing the securing levers 16 towards the ground the securing spurs 20 will be pressed into the ground in such a manner that the tripod legs 14 are held securely in place. When his desired to remove the tripod legs 14 from the ground, the securing levers 16 are simply lifted vertically thus removing the securing spurs from the ground. Likewise when it is desired to dismantle the device supporting tube 10 may be unscrewed from the coupler ring 12. Although the supporting tube 10 has been shown as an integral unit, it is within the contemplation of the invention that supporting tube 10 may be comprised of two or more sections which are coupled together by screw coupler means, or other collapsible design.

Upon the top portion of supporting tube 10 is a bowl shaped ball supporting member 22, the lower portion of which fits over the top portion of supporting tube 10, and is secured thereto by means of set screws 24 which are laterally positioned and extend through the lower portion of the ball supporting member 22. Set screws 24 are threadably engaged with ball supporting member 22 and upon tightening, will bear against supporting tube 10 so as to secure the ball supporting member 22 tightly upon it. As may be seen when it is desired to dismantle the device, the set screws 24 may be loosened and ball supporting member 22 removed. The ball supporting member 22 is generally'made of aluminum.

A spherical goal ball 26 is positioned on the upwardly facing bowl portion of ball supporting member 22 and has attached on the lower portion thereof a securing ring 28. A ring shaped snap connector 30 is positioned around the securing ring 28 and is integrally attached to a reset cable 32. The reset cable 32 extends through an opening 34 in the bottom portion of ball supporting member 22, through the interior of supporting'tube 10 and to the outside of supporting tube 10 through a cable hole 34 which extends laterally through the supporting tube 10 at about its mid-point. The end portion of cable 32 is attached to a reset handle 36 positioned several inches below the cable hole 34. As may be seen in FIGURE 1, when the goal ball 26 is knocked from ball supporting member 22 it is restrained from falling on the ground by reset cable 32 which draws reset handle 36 up to cable hole 34. Reset handle 36 however is restrained from further upward movement at cable hole 34. Reset cable 32 may be made of any of the conventional cable or rope materials although stainless steel has been found most satisfactory. Reset handle 12 may be a metal ring, wood, or other conventional materials.

In operation the goal ball 26 is placed upon ball supporting member 22 with the snap connector 30 attaching cable 32 to the goal ball 26. Securing levers 16 are pressed downwardly thus causing securing spurs 20 to penetrate the ground so as to hold tripod legs-14 in secure position. When one of the players throws the playing ball (not shown) so as to strike the goal ball 26 sutficiently hard to dislodge it, goal ball 26 will fall out of ball supporting member 22 dragging cable 32 with it. Cable 32 will move reset handle 36 upward until it comes into contact with the lateral portion of supporting tube adjacent to cable hole 34, at which point it is restrained from further upward movement. The reset cable 32 is thus stopped from moving upwardly and restrains and suspends goal ball 26 in a position below and to the side of ball supporting member 22. To reset the goal ball 26, it is merely necessary to grasp reset handle 36 and pull it downward thus causing reset cable 32 to drag the goal ball 26 up into the ball supporting member 22 where it will remain in position. The play of the game then continues until the next score is made again by striking the goal ball 26 by the play ball (not shown).

As may be readily seen, this device may be quickly and easily disassembled by lifting goal ball 26 from ball supporting member 22, and unsnapping snap connector 30, thus freeing the goal ball 26. The ball supporting member 22 may then be removed by loosening set screws 24 and lifting it from the supporting tube .10. Supporting tube 10 may be then unscrewed from coupler ring 12. Reassembly may be accomplished by the reverse of these operations.

Although we have described our invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An athletic goal device comprising in combination:

a ground support member;

an elevating member attached to said ground support member and extending approximately vertically therefrom, said elevating member comprising:

a hollow shaft having a cable hole laterally positioned therethrough at about its mid point;

a ball supporting member attached to the upper portion of said elevating member, said ball supporting member having a reset opening therethrough;

a goal ball positioned upon said ball supportin memher;

a reset cable member attached to said goal ball and extending through said reset opening and downwardly therefrom; said reset cable member comprismg:

a reset cable extending through said cable hole, to

Without said hollow shaft;

a reset handle attached to said reset cable without said hollow shaft;

whereby, when said goal ball is knocked from its position upon said ball supporting member, it may be repositioned upon said ball supporting member by puling said reset cable member.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said reset cable has an attaching device on the end portion thereof; and said goal ball has an attaching ring integrally connected thereto, said attaching ring connected to said attaching device.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which said ground supporting member is comprised of, in combination:

at least three ground supporting legs attached to said elevating member and extending radially therefrom;

a ground securing lever pivotally attached to each of said ground securing levers and extending in a down ward direction;

whereby when said ground securing lever is pressed towards the ground, said ground securing spurs will penetrate the ground to secure said ground supporting member to the ground upon which it rests.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which said ball supporting member is comprised of, in combination:

an upwardly disposed bowl shaped member, having said reset opening through the bottom portion thereof;

screw means positioned upon said bowl shaped memher to removably affix said bowl shaped member to said elevating member.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 in which said elevating member is removably afiixed to said ground support member;

whereby said elevating member may be easily removed.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 in which said ground supporting legs are attached centrally to a hollow ring member having a threaded portion therein;

a threaded section positioned on the end portion of said elevating member, engagable by said thread portion of said hollow ring member;

whereby said elevating member may be easily threaded into said hollow ring member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,876,974 3/1959 [Liftman 248156 X 722,220 3/ 1903 Finney.

1,242,046 10/ 1907 Rogers.

1,681,693 8/ 1928 Becker.

2,547,776 4/1951 Rankin.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

M. .R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 273; 248156 

